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Canada’s Pan American Games Gold Medalist Defeats U.S. Field

September 30, 2025

Jill Henselwood and Special Ed, a Cealy Tetley PhotoCULPEPER, VIRGINIA, SEPTEMBER 30, Pan American Games show jumping gold medalist Jill Henselwood, of Oxford Mills, Ontario, rode her Pan American Games mount, Special Ed, to win the $100,000 United States Grand Prix League Final today. Thirty riders and horses started, jumping in reverse order of their ranking in U.S.G.P.L. competition throughout the 2007 season. 6 were faultless to advance to the tie-breaker against the clock. Ken Berkley, of Flemington, New Jersey, on Carlos Boy, set a blazing pace of 44.244 seconds. As the nest four tried to chase Berkley’s time, rails consistently fell. Henselwood had the advantage of going last, and she and Special Ed left all the jumps standing, finishing in 43.708 seconds, relegating Berkley to second-place.

“I’m going to give you a win on Sunday”, Henselwood said confidently on Friday, after finishing second in the $25,000 Wild Card Grand Prix, the final qualifier for the U.S.G.P.L. Final, also held in Culpeper. Today’s win is her eighth major win this season.

As the first woman in 24 years to win individual gold at the Pan American Games, Henselwood is on track for her Olympic goal next year. Although she has represented Canada in three Pan American Games and two World Championships, she has yet to ride on an Olympic team. The woman whose Pan Am record she equaled, 1983 Pan American individual gold medalist, Anne Kursinski, of the U.S., also competed today and finished fourth. Following her Pan Am Games success, Kursinski went on to become a three-time Olympian and a two-time Olympic team silver medalist.

After a magnificent 2007 season, Henselwood has her sights on parlaying her Pan American success into becoming the first-ever woman to win the individual Olympic gold. She has two mounts in contention to take her there. Her Pan American mount, Special Ed, is her first-string partner. But his stable-mate, Black Ice, has been a major winner several times during this record-setting season for Henselwood and is also an Olympic contender.

Written by Jayne Huddleston · Filed Under Contributors, Culpeper, Jayne Huddleston 
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